#i hope it gets addressed in a more meaningful way

[hootgrowlhootgrowl]

I need these men to talk. I need Stede to take his own advice and not fucking bottle it up. There are so many insecurities and misconceptions between them and they need to start at the beginning, they need to talk about why Stede left (and why he came back)!

Both Mary and Ed referred to him returning home as a whim and i think that's unfair. 'Whim' implies a certain amount of carelessness and shallowness, which I feel doesn't apply to what happened. Stede had been feeling immense amounts of guilt about abandoning his family the entire season (which he didn't talk about or try to work through at all), then he caused the death of another person after being told he ruins everything he touches, then he walked all the way back to his house and it was clear he wasn't all there. He didn't just wake up that night and decide 'you know what? I'm not interested in Ed anymore and I'd rather go back to my wealth and nice things and pretty wife.' Like yeah, it wasn't planned, but I don't think it's fair to call psychological trauma a whim.

And Ed needs to know this! Have they talked about this at all? Does he know anything about what Stede went through that night? Does he know that Stede and Mary were so happy separated but so miserable together that she tried to murder him? That it was after Mary helped him realize how much he loved Ed and how much happier he was that he decided to leave? That he renounced his title, his land, his money, faked his own death, burned any bridges back to his old life to find Ed again? That he gave up everything he had not for piracy or the crew, but for Ed?!

If they would just fucking talk to each other about the actual important shit, how they both feel like they've ruined each other and aren't good enough for each other and like the other loves a version themselves that they don't want to be. I loved the kiss scene in ep 5 and the 'let's take it slow' not because I felt like that in itself was the paragon of communication, but because it implied further communication. It implied they would have the big conversations, but they're both trying to move past everything because they're too scared to be emotionally vulnerable about their insecurities with each other.

Initially I thought it was good they were staying together while working stuff out, but now I feel like maybe a couple weeks apart would be really good for them and give them time to think about what needs to happen and what needs to be shared for this relationship to move forward. Also, Ed's been through a lot of shit the past week, maybe some actual alone time would really do him good.

Best case scenario for me at this point is the season ends with Ed and Stede sitting together after all the action and Ed holds his hand and says "Stede, I love you and want to be with you, but I think we need to talk about our shit first." And Stede squeezes his hand and says, "I think you might be right." And then the camera pans away from them with a slightly open but hopeful ending.

[alliekitaguchi]

one thing I’m hoping is addressed in future episodes is the fact that laudna sometimes acts like she’s the only one who’s ever been through her own trauma. and yes, what she’s been through is AWFUL, but everyone has been through something

- laudna was tricked, tortured, hung, revived, and wandered the world for about 30 years by herself before she found Imogen (though Marisha has stated there was someone before Imogen, but that hasn’t come up in game yet), and then died again, before being revived again. she has delilah in her head, which is Not Great, but laudna consciously brought her back

- imogen was abandoned by her mother at a young age and grew up with an absent father, who revered her as a freak, and was an outcast everywhere she went

- fearne was abandoned by her parents and has had her life be in the hands of others for over 100 years, mainly her “grandmother”, who has been stretching their time together to keep her longer. she’s also been killed, and found out that she was a purposefully made by a villain for some nefarious purposes

- ashton lives every single day in pain, grew up in a cult, died, woke up in a new body that was broken, didn’t know anything about himself, has been alone since he was a child, exploded into a thousand pieces before painfully reforming with new, more “broken” body parts

- fcg was an assassin bot that sat untouched for 2,000 years before being brought to life and thrown headfirst into society with no help or instructions, and then died tragically

- chetney has lived over 300 years by himself because his family abandoned him and he had to come to terms with the fact that they’re all likely dead, and the loss messed him up so bad that he’s avoided making meaningful connections with people ever since, and he literally JUST died, was revived, and watched the person who deemed him worthy of saving sacrifice themself

- orym watched the love of his life and his father figure be cut down in front of him, watched his friend accept a cursed crown that permanently changed her, was killed and revived

there’s no denying that she’s been through something horrendous, but she has to make the conscious choice to get better. to quote matt & marisha both: laudna is an addict, and she digs herself into her grief so deeply that she can’t see the cracks in everyone else.

she was right that orym should’ve talked to the whole group before taking otohan’s sword, but she was a hypocrite because she tried to steal it off of him. the sword is the source of her trauma, but it’s the source of orym’s too. she told chetney to not talk to her about loss after learning just mere weeks ago that he lost his entire family in one day.

i thought dorian put it beautifully: “it’s just a thing.” it only holds power over you if you let it. she’s dead. the blade no longer hurts you unless you let it.

there’s something so riveting about watching the nuances of trauma unfold in juicy, juicy ways

[e-vay]

so… i turn thirty this year & after two failed relationships, im unsure how to have hope i’ll ever find my “person”. Ive been following you for a long time… how did you have hope that you’d eventually find someone and have a happy relationship?

If this is too intense or personal to ask, dont worry i just,,, i dont know. Its a struggle to feel like i’ll ever find The One and i know you went through something similar so… maybe you’d just have advice?

Thank you,,, i hope youre having an amazing night ❤️

I don’t mind you asking me this. If talking about the hard times I went through can help others get through it, I think it’s worth discussing. 

Like you said, I also struggled with love for a long time and after a few devastating relationships I gave up on dating altogether for a while. But, in hindsight, that ended up being a blessing because I was able to spend time bettering myself and—most importantly—learn to love myself. Yes, having a partner can make our lives richer, but I think it’s important to be able to enjoy your own company. Before, I thought the void inside of me needed to be filled by another person, so I would go out of my way to find somebody to do that without actually worrying whether or not they were the correct fit for me. Having time to focus on myself made me a better person (I think), and it ultimately ended up being for the best because I no longer felt like I was less than. Of course, I would still feel lonely from time-to-time and I’ve always been a romantic so I love the idea of love, but I got to the point where I felt fulfilled enough on my own so that when I met my now-husband, the feeling was significantly different. It wasn’t “I need to put this person in the hole that is my heart so that I can crawl my way up out of this pit,”... It was instead “Oh, this person significantly ADDS to the joy in my life” and that’s one of the reasons why he stood out to me as a partner. Though I would have liked to have met my husband sooner in life, honestly? Had we met sooner, before I matured and improved myself, we likely wouldn’t have worked out. I'm not saying you need to improve yourself. I'm just saying that that's what helped me and ended up giving me hope.

I also think society gives us too many unrealistic expectations and goals that we’re expected to meet by certain “deadlines”. Everybody moves at their own pace and has their own journey that’s unique to them. We can’t all be expected to follow the same linear path; humans are just too different. I was my husband’s very first girlfriend and he was 36 years old when we started dating. But when I’ve asked him if he’s upset/disappointed he never had a relationship before meeting me, he’s told me “No, I think we met when we were supposed to.”

Lastly, I want to address my personal beliefs on “The One.” Y’all know I’m a romantic and I do believe in soulmates, but I also believe we’re capable of having more than one soulmate. The world is too big for us to be limited to the chance of only ever finding one single person who is compatible for us. And if we miss out on meeting that one person, our chance of love is shot??? I just don’t believe that. When widows/widowers remarry, does that diminish the love they had for their late spouse? Of course not. It doesn’t mean their first love wasn’t just as important and meaningful as their new love. So, maybe you could find it helpful if you adopt this mindset as well. I think it makes the idea of romance seem less impossible.

I don’t know if this makes you feel any better but at the very least I hope you don’t feel worse for having read it! I don’t know you personally, but I wish you absolute happiness.

It's going to be okay 🙂

[astroamorsworld]

Mars Return Chart

I feel like not a lot of people talk about Mars Return Charts on here and i think they’re pretty important tbh. Is it because they’re every 2 years or so? Idk. So, in this post i’m gonna break down what it means to have Mars in all 12 houses in your Mars return chart. Also I have a mini announcement to make at the end of this post so I hope you guys like it☺️

Mars in the 1st house: This Mars placement fuels your motivation and desire to take action. You'll likely feel a surge of energy to pursue your goals and make things happen. The 1st house is associated with your sense of self. Mars here can push you to explore who you are and what you want to achieve. It's a time for self-discovery and taking charge of your life. Mars' influence can make you more outspoken and confident. You might find yourself taking initiative and readily expressing your opinions. While assertiveness is positive, be mindful of an impulsive streak that can come with this placement. Channel your energy productively and avoid acting rashly. It's important to find a healthy balance for your energy. Engage in physical activities to channel your drive and avoid burnout. Meditation or mindfulness practices can also help you manage your assertiveness.

Mars in the 2nd house: Mars in the 2nd house fuels your desire to accumulate wealth and possessions. You might feel a strong urge to work hard and increase your material security. The 2nd house also ties to self-worth. This Mars return could prompt you to re-evaluate what gives your life meaning and how you measure your value. Are you driven by external validation or internal purpose? You might become more assertive about your financial worth. Negotiations, asking for raises, or pursuing new income streams could be on the horizon. Be mindful of impulsive spending habits that can come with Mars' influence. Channel your drive into wise investments or building a sustainable budget. This could be a time to re-evaluate your relationship with possessions. Are they tools that empower you or burdens that hold you back? Consider decluttering or investing in meaningful items. It's important to find a healthy balance between drive and responsible management. Acknowledge your desire for security without letting it consume you.

Mars in the 3rd house: Mars in the 3rd house fuels your desire to connect and express yourself. You might find yourself more talkative, engaged in debates, or actively seeking out new information. The 3rd house is associated with learning and short-distance travel. This Mars return could ignite your curiosity and make you eager to learn new things, take short trips, or explore new ways of communicating. Mars' energy can help you be more assertive and proactive in your relationships with siblings, neighbors, and classmates. It's a good time to strengthen existing bonds or forge new connections based on shared interests. Be mindful of the potential for arguments or disagreements due to Mars' assertive nature. Channel your energy into healthy debate and active listening to avoid unnecessary conflict. This placement can boost your productivity in areas related to the 3rd house. You might find yourself tackling projects, errands, and communication tasks with renewed vigor. The key is to find a healthy balance between assertiveness and diplomacy in your communication. Express yourself confidently but be mindful of others' perspectives.

Mars in the 4th house: Mars in the 4th house fuels your desire to create a secure and comfortable home environment. You might feel motivated to redecorate, renovate, or tackle home improvement projects. The 4th house is associated with family lineage and emotional roots. This Mars return could prompt you to explore your family history, address past issues, or strengthen connections with family members. You might become more assertive about your needs within the home environment. Are you getting the emotional support you deserve? Now's the time to communicate openly and establish healthy boundaries. Be mindful of the potential for arguments or tension within the family due to Mars' assertive nature. Channel your energy into productive conversations and focus on finding solutions. This placement can lead to a surge of energy for activities related to the home. You might find yourself tackling domestic chores with renewed vigor or taking initiative on home improvement projects. The key is to find a healthy balance between taking action and respecting the needs of others in your home environment. Be assertive but prioritize open communication and collaboration.

Mars in the 5th house: Mars in the 5th house fuels your passion and desire for creative expression. You might feel a strong urge to engage in artistic pursuits, hobbies, or simply find new ways to express yourself. The 5th house is associated with pleasure, fun, and games. This Mars return could ignite your desire for entertainment, social interaction, and lighthearted activities. Mars' energy can make you more assertive and proactive in your romantic life. You might find yourself taking initiative, expressing your desires openly, or attracting passionate connections. Be mindful of the potential for competitiveness in your creative pursuits or romantic endeavors due to Mars' assertive nature. Channel your energy into healthy competition and focus on enjoying the process rather than just winning. This placement can boost your energy for activities related to the 5th house. You might find yourself tackling creative projects with renewed vigor, seeking out new hobbies, or planning fun outings with loved ones. The key is to find a healthy balance between assertiveness and collaboration in your creative pursuits and relationships. Express yourself confidently but be open to feedback and enjoy the experience of connecting with others.

Mars in the 6th house: Mars in the 6th house fuels your desire to optimize your daily routines and become more efficient. You might find yourself tackling chores with renewed vigor, streamlining your workday, or taking initiative to improve your work environment. The 6th house is associated with health and well-being. This Mars return could prompt you to prioritize healthy habits, exercise routines, or address any lingering health concerns. Mars' energy can make you more assertive and proactive in your professional life. You might find yourself taking on new challenges at work, advocating for yourself or your colleagues, or tackling problems head-on. Be mindful of the potential for conflict with colleagues or disagreements about work styles due to Mars' assertive nature. Channel your energy into productive solutions and focus on collaboration. This placement can lead to a surge of energy for work-related tasks and daily routines. You might find yourself tackling projects with renewed focus and completing tasks efficiently. The key is to find a healthy balance between taking action and taking care of yourself. Be assertive at work but prioritize a healthy work-life balance and avoid burnout.

Mars in the 7th house: Mars in the 7th house fuels your desire for dynamic and passionate partnerships. You might find yourself taking initiative in existing relationships or actively seeking out new connections that challenge and stimulate you. The 7th house is associated with partnerships, contracts, and negotiations. This Mars return could prompt you to focus on strengthening existing partnerships, working collaboratively towards shared goals, or negotiating better terms in your professional or personal collaborations. Mars' energy can make you more assertive and outspoken in your relationships. You might find yourself communicating your needs more openly or taking a more active role in decision-making. Be mindful of the potential for arguments or power struggles due to Mars' assertive nature. Channel your energy into healthy debate and compromise to avoid unnecessary conflict. This placement can lead to a surge of interest in connecting with others. You might find yourself putting yourself out there more, attending social events, or actively seeking out new collaborations. The key is to find a healthy balance between assertiveness and cooperation in your partnerships. Be confident in expressing your needs but prioritize open communication, empathy, and respect for your partner's perspective.

Mars in the 8th house: Mars in the 8th house fuels your desire for deep personal transformation. You might find yourself confronting your fears and vulnerabilities, exploring shadow aspects of yourself, or undergoing a period of significant emotional growth. The 8th house is associated with shared resources, intimacy, and death and rebirth. This Mars return could prompt you to address financial matters with partners, explore deeper levels of intimacy in your relationships, or confront issues of power and control within partnerships. Mars' energy can make you more assertive and passionate in intimate relationships. You might find yourself expressing your desires openly, confronting intimacy issues head-on, or taking the lead in exploring new forms of intimacy. Be mindful of the potential for arguments or power struggles due to Mars' assertive nature, especially regarding shared resources or intimacy. Channel your energy into productive conversations and focus on finding solutions that benefit all parties involved. This placement can ignite a desire to confront taboos or delve into hidden aspects of life and death. You might be drawn to explore psychology, delve into occult subjects, or research your family history. The key is to find a healthy balance between assertiveness and vulnerability during this transformative period. Embrace your courage to confront challenges but also allow yourself to be open and receptive to the process of change.

Mars in the 9th house: Mars in the 9th house fuels your desire for adventure, learning, and exploring new horizons. You might find yourself yearning to travel, pursue higher education, or delve deeper into philosophical or spiritual questions. The 9th house is associated with belief systems, philosophy, and long-distance travel. This Mars return could prompt you to re-evaluate your core values, challenge your existing beliefs, or embark on a journey (physical or intellectual) to broaden your perspective. Mars' energy can make you more assertive and proactive in your pursuit of knowledge. You might find yourself actively engaging in debates, taking initiative in discussions, or seeking out teachers and mentors who challenge your thinking. Be mindful of the potential for arguments or clashes due to Mars' assertive nature, especially regarding differing beliefs or philosophies. Channel your energy into healthy debate and respectful exchange of ideas. This placement can spark a curiosity about different cultures, religions, or ways of life. You might find yourself drawn to travel abroad, immerse yourself in new traditions, or connect with people from diverse backgrounds. The key is to find a healthy balance between assertiveness and open-mindedness during this period of exploration. Be confident in your beliefs but also be receptive to new perspectives and willing to learn from others.

Mars in the 10th house: Mars in the 10th house fuels your desire for accomplishment, recognition, and advancement in your career. You might find yourself taking initiative at work, pursuing leadership roles, or going the extra mile to achieve your professional goals. The 10th house is associated with reputation, public image, and authority figures. This Mars return could prompt you to refine your professional image, assert your expertise, or take on projects that enhance your standing in your field. Mars' energy can make you more assertive and proactive in your career pursuits. You might find yourself advocating for yourself or your ideas, negotiating for promotions, or taking the lead on challenging projects. Be mindful of the potential for arguments or power struggles with colleagues or superiors due to Mars' assertive nature. Channel your energy into productive competition, focus on collaboration, and navigate professional situations strategically. This placement can lead to a surge of energy and motivation for your career. You might find yourself tackling projects with renewed focus, exceeding expectations, and actively pursuing your ambitions. The key is to find a healthy balance between assertiveness and diplomacy in your career pursuits. Be confident in your abilities but prioritize teamwork, respect for authority, and building strong professional relationships.

Mars in the 11th house: Mars in the 11th house fuels your desire to connect with others on a deeper level and build strong friendships. You might find yourself taking initiative in group activities, advocating for causes you believe in, or actively seeking out like-minded people to connect with. The 11th house is associated with groups, communities, and hopes for the future. This Mars return could prompt you to get involved in social causes, collaborate with others towards shared goals, or work on projects that benefit the greater good. Mars' energy can make you more assertive and outspoken in group settings. You might find yourself taking initiative in group projects, advocating for your ideas, or inspiring others to take action on a cause you care about. Be mindful of the potential for arguments or clashes within groups due to Mars' assertive nature. Channel your energy into productive discussions, find common ground, and focus on achieving the best outcome for the group. This placement can spark a surge of enthusiasm and initiative within groups. You might find yourself taking charge of projects, motivating others, and working collaboratively to achieve your shared goals. The key is to find a healthy balance between assertiveness and collaboration within your social circles. Be confident in your ideas but prioritize open communication, respect for others' perspectives, and working towards a common vision.

Mars in the 12th house: Mars in the 12th house fuels your desire to delve deeper into your subconscious mind, explore hidden desires or fears, and confront any shadow aspects that might be holding you back. The 12th house is associated with intuition, dreams, and the unseen realms. This Mars return could prompt you to pay closer attention to your intuition, explore the meaning of your dreams, or delve into spiritual or meditative practices. Mars' assertive energy can manifest as an inner critic during this time. Be mindful of negative self-talk and challenge limiting beliefs that might be holding you back. Channel your Mars energy into healthy self-assertion and inner strength. The 12th house can also be associated with hidden enemies or past emotional wounds. Be mindful of resurfacing past conflicts or anxieties. Channel your Mars energy into facing these issues head-on and finding inner peace. This placement can bring a surge of energy for activities related to the 12th house. You might find yourself drawn to creative pursuits that tap into your subconscious, delve into research or healing practices, or dedicate time to introspection and self-reflection. The key is to find a healthy balance between introspection and taking action. Embrace the opportunity for self-exploration but don't get lost in negativity. Channel your Mars energy into positive self-improvement and use your newfound intuition to guide you forward.

I hope you guys enjoyed that post! So as I said at the start of the post, I wanted to announce that i’ll be doing big 3 and big 6 readings! So if you’d like one, DM me or fill out my google form here!

Check my pinned for more💖

[cinnamonest]

not too sure if you've already put thought into it, but which yanderes would be/wouldn't be willing to break bones? i feel like for most of them it's a hard yes but depending on the circumstances and their mental fragility.

also sadisim. (COUGHCOUGHCHILDECOUGHCOUGH)

ignore this ask if you've already answered/have a question similar to this (or just don't want to answer/! and if your reqs are closed and my tumblrs just tweaking that's okay too!!

I would say Albedo initially, but he's a practical man, if you're not going to be using the limbs anyway might as well just take them off, so… as for some others…

Kazuha does it for practicality, specifically your ankles. It's a useful risk prevention method.

He still feels bad, and he apologizes… but he doesn't hesitate much. After all, he did give you fair warning, but you ran off yet again. This is just to keep you safe, for your own well-being, and for his peace of mind.

He's sweet about it too. He puts your hand against his arm beforehand, and tells you here, you can squeeze down on my arm, okay? After all, it will help with the initial pain.

He's still sweet when you squirm away and whimper, even though the grip with which he pulls you back is harsh.

I know. But I can't let you be a danger to yourself…

He holds you gently for however long it takes you to stop crying. He'll get you water and food and painkillers/alcohol, tends to your every need, waits on you hand and (broken) foot. Notably, once the initial reaction has died down, he stops really acknowledging it in any meaningful way, talks to you as if everything is normal. Even when addressing your leg, he talks about it as if it were some injury you acquired by other means.

You might be spiteful enough to bring it up and remind him that it's his fault, but he's quick to correct you, keeping a soft voice and gentle smile all the while.

You did have every opportunity to choose otherwise, you know. Ah, but I know you're upset… it's okay if you blame me.

He'll be fully patient for you to heal, too. He’s very cheerful once it's fully healed, says he's glad you're better, helps you walk around a bit to get readjusted, keeping his hands firmly supporting you the entire time. Even for a while after it's healed enough to walk, he checks on it from time to time to ensure the final stages of mending are going well.

He tells you you're fully healed, with a soft voice and ever-pleasant smile, not without adding—

Let’s hope it stays that way.

----

Childe has to be in a more angry mood than usual to get to that point. Usually, his form of sadism is the sort that focuses on a sort of pleasure-pain, the sort he can get off to… but this is a bit different.

It's only because you keep being irritating. He's really tolerant, you know? He's been so lenient, he tells you, he's been so nice, he's been so good to you, and what do you do? You keep being mean. It's cute up to a certain point, but you're being like, really really mean.

It's actually kind of nice, on his end, to see your immediate reaction — you can tell just by the strained smile and clenched teeth as he speaks that you've crossed some sort of line. For once, you actually shrink back, clutch your hands up at your chest defensively, start to take some steps back… but you can't get away fast enough before you're drug forward by the hair or neck.

Come on… it's not that hard to be good, is it?

It's a last chance — he's nice enough to give you that, at least, even if you don't deserve it (which you don't, he thinks). Come on. You can be good, you can apologize and submit and he'll forget all the spiteful shit you've done today and then you can have a nice, happy rest of the day. You can do it. It should be easy. He takes one of your hands in his, holding it with a sort of sincere pleading gesture.

But, even though you should know better, you still remain spiteful through your fear, narrow your eyes and tell him no. You try to jerk your hand away, only to find his grip on it is iron-firm.

His smile twitches.

Aw. That's too bad.

And thus, you process the sound and sight before the pain — you see him take your hand and twist it, hear the snap, and only then does the pain shoot up through your wrist, through your arm and to every nerve in your body. It's bad enough that you fall to your knees, squealing, cradling the now-unnaturally-twisted limb.

Yes, he's very very nice, but admittedly, hearing you wail like that is rather pleasing, all things considered. More so when he grabs you by the jaw, jerks your head up to force you to look at him, and sees the tears in your eyes, the way your face contorts with pain.

Maybe you can be good now…?

This time, you squeeze your eyes shut, frantically nodding your head, a pitiful little sound coming out of your throat. He'd be lying if he said it wasn't very satisfying.

---

There's also a notable difference between willing to break bones and likelihood of breaking bones, actively willing or not.

Some non-humans are particularly unaware of their strength — Xiao fits this well. He genuinely doesn't like hurting you, although you would think so, based on how much he does, it's just that he forgets how fragile you are. For someone of his strength, your body might as well be made of glass.

So it just sort of happens… he grabs you by the arm or leg and pulls in the wrong direction a bit too hard, there's a stomach-churning snapping sound and suddenly you're shrieking and crying. It startles him quite a bit — he lets go and shrinks back, all wide-eyed and head darting from side to side as he looks around in confused panic.

But just as with fragility, he's also not very aware of the durability of the human body. He’s not great at gauging severity of injury — normally, he just attacks creatures until they stop moving, because that's his goal when it comes to his responsibilities.

So he has no real reference for how much damage he's done. Bones are all connected, yes? He probably broke something important, or made some internal organ come apart somehow, and it will kill you. The thought sends him into a full-fledged panic, he's bolting off and dragging help back as fast as physically possible, explaining that you have sustained mortal injury and are on the verge of death.

He's at least comforted to learn that that is in fact not the case, and you have merely broken your arm, which, the innkeeper confirms, is in fact not fatal. He's too relieved to notice the blatant frustration in her voice (this marks the fourth time he's insisted you are about to die over something actually far more trivial), and merely nods when she asks to please be more careful.

He doesn't really know how to handle the matter from there. He feels guilty about it. You're obviously in pain, and it's his fault. He'll sit next to you, hunched over and staring with those big yellow eyes as if trying to make you heal faster with sheer willpower. Makes sure you don't get up and move around (despite your insistence that your legs are just fine — still can't take risks, he says), disappears for a while each day and comes back with mountaintop herbs that are supposed to dull pain.

He doesn't outright say sorry, but you can see the remorse on his face and in his actions, and it's actually kind of pitiful… it reminds you of a little kid that broke a vase sheepishly trying to put it back together… all in all, you can't really bring yourself to be harsh about it.

[bnxxshthealien]

something’s wrong with UNIT

ok, something’s really bugging me about the new version of UNIT (in doctor who season 1/14)

In their first few appearances in nuwho (in rtd1) the Doctor was very clearly cautious of or completely against unit (e.g. in the sontaran stratagem, it felt like he had to fight unit more than the sontarans). Which absolutely makes sense: their military methods go completely against the Doctor’s typical behaviour.

And then Kate Lethbridge-Stewart came into it. In her first season (s7), she tried to murder a group of refugee zygons. The Doctor tried to interfere, which resulted in a kind of botched partition. This predictably collapsed in s9, and Kate addressed the situation by attempting genocide. And the Doctor was rightfully pissed.

Since then we haven’t seen much of Kate, other than Flux / Power of the Doctor, in which she has zero meaningful characterisation. (i don’t wanna hate on s13, i do like it, but there’s not really anything interesting to say here)

Then there was the Giggle, which I think did a good job: we got to see a kind of raw version of Kate, which showed a contrast between the dangerous side of her and the way she presents herself, which suggests that she has listened to the Doctor and worked on herself.

But then we have the Legend of Ruby Sunday. The Doctor just walks into unit like they never did anything wrong and fully supports everything they try to do. I mean, it’s nice, it’s fun to watch all the characters get along, but aren’t there some things you need to address??

anyway. i’m hoping this is intentional. 15 is getting a bit too carefree after the bigeneration (he keeps stepping on things etc.) and I suspect the sudden switch in attitude towards unit is RTD’s way of showing how this can be a problem. I suspect in Empire of Death, unit are going to make a bad move and the Doctor will remember why he used to be cautious of them.

[i-heart-hxh]

I just want to say I appreciate you for staying positive about killugon. Admittedly, I’ve given up on them. Maybe it’s too many angsty fanfics or metas I’ve seen that basically make it seem like they’ll never be close again but it’s nice to see some people still going strong with this ship! Hopefully one day I can enjoy this ship again the way I used to. Currently everything I read about them in fandom just depresses me.

Hi anon!

I'm sad to hear the negativity has gotten to you to this degree! It actually surprises me how much the fandom seems to think what happened between them can't be fixed. I've been into HxH for almost 8 years now and as time has gone on and I've revisited the series and analyzed it deeply and discussed it with others, I've only grown more certain that things between them will be okay--assuming Togashi can reach that point in the series. And right now is a great time to be hopeful about the future of HxH, with Togashi working so actively on the series the past few months.

Sooo many of the messages in my inbox amount to "Is there really hope? Are Gon and Killua really going to reunite and reconcile? Or is their relationship hopelessly broken?" so even though I feel like a bit of a broken record addressing this topic so much, it seems like it's a topic people really want addressed, so here's some more of my thoughts. (Trying to make my answers on this topic at least a little different each time even if some repetition is inevitable...!)

Here's this post I made of some of the reasons I anticipate a Gon and Killua reunion and fixing their relationship. And here's this eye-opening analysis post of the separation, yet again, which also offers hope.

So much of HxH is about second chances. It's about how love and human connections transform people and make life worth living, no matter how painful and difficult it may be. At the end of Chimera Ant Arc, Meruem and Komugi (who are, by the way, absolutely parallels for Gon and Killua) find their meaning for living in each other, and decide to stay together even knowing the only way they can be together is in the afterlife. If you trace back this scene to all the factors and character moments that made it possible, it goes all the way back to Gon extending kindness to Killua and changing his life. I believe Gon and Killua are on a path wherein they will ultimately find their meaning in each other and vow to stay together again (albeit without the dying part).

Gon and Killua are the protagonists of the series, and they are emblematic of the themes of HxH. Looking at the themes of HxH and the worldview it presents, it doesn't make sense for Gon and Killua to experience this horrible traumatic incident as the young teens they are, then never ever get to fix and resolve it even though they're both clearly upset to have to leave each other and they definitely have more to say to each other. Why show them feeling dissatisfied and unhappy to separate if they'll never get a chance to fix things and be happy together again? Do you really think that's the direction Togashi wants to go in, with the focus of the series and the repeated emphasis on how the hope we can find in a cruel, painful world rests in the connections we have with the people around us?

It's meaningful that they make each other so happy and transformed each others' lives. It's meaningful that even now in merch and artwork and such, they're portrayed as a pair. It's meaningful that a huge chunk of the audience so desperately wants to see them together again, and I'm certain Togashi is well aware of that. These two are at the heart of what makes HxH so wonderful and moving.

It's okay to take a break from the ship if it's not bringing you joy. Sometimes I get frustrated by takes and interpretations I see about it, too, trust me. Ultimately, it's here for you whenever you want to revisit it, and there are plenty of fanworks with happy endings and reconciliation between them if you need something to tide you over until canon hopefully resolves things between them. But do what feels right for yourself--it's okay to focus on something fluffier and less complex if that's what you need for now. I hope eventually you can come to see it with more hope, as I have lots of hope for their future--and I don't think it's unwarranted at all. 💖

[brattylikestoeat]

Outside of 3 states, women own more homes than men. I read the article and the article says single women, women who haven’t been married.

So why I read the comments and all the men are crying divorce. “She got the home in the divorce!!!”

So they didn’t read the article, but I don’t expect men to.

But let’s address. If the home is in both names, she doesn’t just automatically get the house.

If the married couple has kids, the male is more likely to move out. Why? Because no one wants to uproot their kids from the everyday normal, a divorce is hard enough but imagine kicking your kids out too.

So the male leaves, wife and kids stay at home. When the divorce finalizes, they have two options with the home.

Sell the home and split the profit or give asset over to one party.

But a lot of things come into play and a judge will never give the woman the home just because she is a woman. So to assume a woman owns a home because she divorced someone is crazy.

It’s part of the male delusion that is driving men crazy these days. They assume we all do onlyfans when in reality women have higher paying jobs and make more money than ever.

They assume we all are fucking 50 men a night, when in reality most women are single as hell and want to stay that way. And this part is crazy to me, since men won’t shut up about the male loneliness epidemic.

I don’t think gender wars are going to ever get better for the simple fact that most men refuse to evolve. The days of you just getting a woman because you are a “good guy” with a job are long gone. It takes a lot more to bag most women these days. A lot of men are not kind, very mean spirited, don’t want to offer anything but dick and problems.

Why would a woman sign up for that? She makes good money on her own, have meaningful relationships, a community of friends.

Men tell women we are undateable but complain they are lonely. You’ve deemed more than 75% of the women population not worthy of being with. Women with degrees, women who travel, women who own homes, women with kids, women with more than 2 sexual partners, women with social media, women with male friends, women with pets. I could go on, but redpill has said all these women are undateable.

You deserve to be lonely, and I hope your bros keep you warm at night.

[eroguron0nsense]

Doflamingo, Love, and Arrested Development

This is mostly just me paraphrasing other Doffy metas and comments I've made but I kinda feel like the real tragedy behind Doflamingo's warped psychology kind of gets missed by people who focus more on his trauma in and of itself and get lost in discourses about having sympathy for characters despite their complete lack of morality and disregard for everyone (perfectly possible), or whether Doflamingo has any redeeming characteristics or genuine concern for anyone or anything outside of himself (he doesn't).

Doffy's story is fundamentally a tragedy, but not because of his childhood traumas or how drastic and painful they are; plenty of One Piece characters experience severe abuses or incomprehensible loss, but they're ultimately stories of how to find hope in the face of the incomprehensibly traumatic, or the salvation/redemptive power of love. Even characters who don't necessarily see their goals fulfilled (see Fisher Tiger, Pedro, Ashura Doji, EGGHEAD SPOILERS etc) aren't fundamentally tragic ones in the way that, say, Ace is, in that they die having fulfilled their goals to the best of their ability and knowing that people will carry on where they left off, even if they don't get to see the liberation they hoped for. Rosinante's story isn't a tragedy because he dies satisfied that he's given hope to someone he loves deeply (and to some extent tried to make amends for some of the guilt he clearly feels for participating in an institution that ruined that child's life).

Doffy, on the other hand, is a never-ending downward spiral from day 1. He was indoctrinated by evil people from birth and never has it addressed (his parents, for all their talk about living more simply than the Celestial Dragons, NEVER actually say "slavery is bad" to Doffy when he asks them why they don't own people any more and I have my own theory on why), who then suffers unbelievable trauma and has his sense of loss–both of his "birthright" and his innocence/ childhood–weaponized for evil. And he spends the rest of his life in this semi-permanent state of arrested development and violent entitlement. He can't have the station and privilege of the Celestial Dragons to... own slaves and live in luxury, so he builds a kingdom where HE reigns supreme and everyone who crosses him is killed or enslaved as a toy. His mother dies and he kills his father, so he assembles a cult-like "family" to try and compensate for the one he's lost/destroyed, but he doesn't and likely doesn't know how to love them in any meaningful way beyond being possessive of them and seeing them as extensions of himself (e.g. he's willing to kill anyone who makes fun of Pica because no one's allowed to antagonize his "family", but he also orders Monet to do a suicide bombing in Punk Hazard, and he's willing to sacrifice one of them for the eternal life surgery, etc). I think that might be why, even though he should know Corazon has every reason to hate and fear him, he's still so eager to take his brother in when they reunite as adults–he shouldn't trust him, and he eventually comes to suspect him of treason, but he's desperate to have a family and Corazon is emblematic of something he wants but can never have because he's a cruel stunted person who knows nothing but entitlement and violence and cannot process the idea that anything has value or merits selflessness and sacrifice.

Everything Doflamingo does is defined by trying to replace or compensate for the family and privilege he was "supposed" to have, but he doesn't love anyone or even understand how real love works because he's been taught to have no regard for human life and all he knows is that love = absolute servitude, that his interests are ultimately more important than the wellbeing of his "family" members, and that betrayal means death. And far be it from me to sympathize with a fallen aristocrat's deranged revenge power fantasies, but it does demonstrate how oppressive institutions inevitably deprive their own beneficiaries of some of their humanity, and consequently fuck them for life. Doffy craves genuine affection and has had his capacity for it permanently stunted by his former class station and indoctrination.

This craving for love combined with an inability to actually feel it in any meaningful way factors into why he's so obsessed with Law, who he kept hardcore projecting onto in the flashbacks and who he expected to turn out just like him. His brother chose Law over Doflamingo and even his undercover mission out of love, and for all his traumas and hangups, Law can find his own crew and friends who he cares about, and he's able to live on and find meaning even after losing EVERYTHING because Corazon genuinely loved him enough to die protecting him. Doffy, on the other hand, is doomed to a loveless, misanthropic, cruel existence where he tortures countless people to compensate, but he can't replace what he's lost and he'll never find it. It's not what Corazon would have wanted, but Law fighting for and honouring Corazon's memory in everything he does enrages Doffy, who will never be able to understand why they cared for each other so deeply, and why both of them are integral to his downfall.

[lemotmo]

I don’t know what to think regarding buddie. Like one hand we’ve got Tim saying he stopped writing them because he didn’t want to queerbait but now is writing them again because he realized it was harmful to the show to not do so because they are so natural with each other, coupled with Ryan and Oliver having said they want buddie if it happens to be done naturally on one hand and then on the other hand you have Kenny talking about Lou and how great he is and what positive energy he adds to the cast and set and how he can’t wait to see the Buck and Tommy relationship continue on and keep growing.

It’s like what direction are we supposed to be preparing ourselves for them to be going. One second it seems like buddie and then the next it’s right back to feeling like the delusional shipper people had made buddie fans feel like for years now.

Hello Nonny! How are you today? Hope you're having a splendid day.

First order of the day: You are not delusional! We are not delusional! Say it with me! We aren't! It has been confirmed by Oliver and Tim. Buddie was in the works at a certain point in time, but Fox stepped in and prevented it. So no, no delusional people here. We're valid in our convictions.

As for your ask. Well, I don't work for the show, so I don't have any insider information. But I do have common sense, so let's break everything down in smaller parts.

Tim not writing for Buddie anymore out of fear of queerbaiting is something from earlier seasons when Fox was in charge. It's obvious he has changed his mind about it with ABC in charge, seeing as how every single episode has some great and meaningful Buddie scenes. Not just that, there was also a great Buddie and Christopher scene, once again cementing the Buckley-Diaz family as a unit. It's true what he says, they have this natural unforced chemistry.

I didn't know that Kenny said those things about Lou, but I get it. For Kenny Lou is a great co-worker. He has worked with him before in previous seasons and he obviously likes the guy, which... you know, valid. That being said though, Kenny doesn't know where the showrunners are taking all the storylines. Tommy is involved in Buck's storyline and so far only Buck's storyline. (Well, and Eddie's as well I suppose, since Eddie is almost always there when bucktommy are together, which... choices!) Sure, Tommy was at the wedding, but that was only a very brief scene. Also, whether we like it or not, Buck is currently involved with Tommy. So of course Kenny is going to talk about them. What is he going to say? 'Oh hey guys, LOL don't get too attached to Tommy, he won't stick around LOL!' He might have some idea about the oncoming Buddie train, but he can't just talk about that.

Let's take in account all the things we have so far: Buckley-Diaz family in full force, Oliver and Ryan can't shut up about Buddie, Oliver hardly ever mentions bucktommy and when he does it's always in the same way -> Tommy as a guide, gay Yoda to help Buck out. That doesn't sound very romantic to me. Next, Tim likes writing for Buddie (confirmed), magazines are all over Buddie and bucktommy is hardly ever mentioned. The last episode they juxtaposed Tommy and Eddie and showed Eddie consistently by Buck's side, willing to step into his world. Tommy didn't. Lou himself revealed that he isn't allowed to use 'Buck' to address Buck, but he has to use Evan. Evan is a name that Buck heavily associates with his parents and his upbringing. I'm sure there is more, but I can't think of it right now.

The difference in chemistry. I myself don't see it at all, but a lot of people seem to like the bucktommy chemistry in their kisses. But outside of those kisses there is a lot of wooden interactions that don't ring true. I'm not sure if it's intentional or not, but if you place those interactions next to Buck and Eddie's scenes the difference in chemistry is palpable. Buddie oozes natural chemistry. Something bucktommy lack. Again, I really think this might be part of the narrative, to show the eventual incompatibility of both characters.

The list just goes on and on. So, I don't know about you, but I'm not willing to bury the battle axe quite yet. To be honest, I'll probably never bury it. As long as Eddie and Buck are on my TV-screen, I'll ship them, because they are literally made for each other. 6 years of history, friendship, family, hope and love. That is not something to waste and the show knows it all too well.

So yeah Nonny, I said it before and I'll say it again:

I'm securely riding the Buddie train, destination endgame. I won't be satisfied with anything less.

[queenvhagar]

Just a minor nitpick here! You guys keep saying "childbirth" in reference to what Rhaenyra endured in 1.10, but in actuality it should be miscarriage. Not a HUGE problem for me personally when it comes to talking about it, but what is a problem is how the show NEVER even addresses it again. They play lip service to the fact that Rhaenyra lost Lucerys, but forget to bring up how the infant that would've been her only daughter was a stillborn deformity!

Couldn't they have spent more time addressing the fact that Rhaenyra wanted a daughter and named her Visenya? It would've presented a wonderfully tragic opportunity to open up a conversation about how sons are preferred over daughters in Westeros! Think of the callback they could've made to 1.01 where Rhaenyra hoped that Baelon would be a girl she could name Visenya, hinting at her obsession with her ancestor and her legacy.

Rhaenyra literally suffered a traumatic miscarriage and then hopped on Syrax within 24 hours without any sign of physical duress, which should've been a through-line of S2! Instead of shoving the same Black Council scenes in our faces every episode and having no justifiable reason why Rhaenyra cannot just fly off into battle, show us that she is physically unable to do so! The degree to which Rhaenyra's body would be suffering from miscarrying Visenya and flying out to confront Otto could've been the PRIMARY reason why she was being mollycoddled by her family and small council.

It would also offer a poignant exploration of what generational incest does to Targaryen women and how incredibly DISTURBING™️ it is that these deformed dragon babies come from their bodies in pursuit of birthing heirs to preserve the legacy of their house. Who's to say it didn't happen to one of Aemma's babies? An entire conversation and arc that Rhaenyra could've had instead of asking "what would you have me do?" for the umpteenth time. But nah, Rhaenyra doesn't get to talk about the state or purpose of her body in any meaningful way that challenges the notion of Targaryen Exceptionalism or explore feminism.

By "childbirth" I was trying to emphasize that a whole child just came out of her, likening the process of birth that she underwent to general childbirth and its recovery, but it's true that the technical term for what occurred should actually be stillbirth. By definition, a pregnancy loss is called a miscarriage only if it occurs before 24 completed weeks, and according to the wiki for the book, Visenya was a month early or at about 36 or so weeks developed. In the show, Rhaenyra did seem to be further along in her pregnancy like was suggested in the book, so likely stillbirth is the most accurate term for what happened. Either way, you're right that it's separate from childbirth. However, the actual bodily processes associated with labor and recovery apply to both.

In any case, the baby that was delivered wasn't shown in its entirety or given a name onscreen, and then she was never acknowledged ever again by anyone. It really seems like a missed opportunity to emphasize the show's stance of Rhaenyra as supposedly the ultimate victim of the Greens AND to explore what you said above: what impact has this generational incest had on the bodies of the women forced to partake in it? This dragon baby's father was the product of sibling-sibling incest, coming from a line of sibling-sibling incest from Aegon I... and the dragon baby's mother is the product of first cousins getting together, with one cousin being the product of the same sibling-sibling incest that produced the dragon baby's father. All of this results in a deformed child who was "twisted and malformed, with a hole in her chest where her heart should have been and a stubby, scaled tail." For reference, for those who haven't seen the behind the scenes images of the silicone prop baby created for the scene, here are the photos (honestly, for the craftsmanship alone of this creation it should have been shown):

What does it do your body having carried and vaginally delivered such a child? Especially if said child in fact had qualities such as scales and a tail? For all the emphasis the show puts on birthing and women's bodies in season one, for this aspect of the reality of the birthing process to be brushed under the rug and not utilized at all is crazy. It really makes me think season one ultimately showed all of those births for shock value and/or surface level attempts at telling a feminist interpretation of the story. It's also worth mentioning that these scenes were only given to women on Team Black, and despite the number of young births that happened in the timeline for Alicent (4) and Helaena (3), none of that is shown or those women's experiences given significance.

Ultimately, this was a missed opportunity.

[hiskillingjar]

CBT (Lawrence/OC)

the truth comes out. i, ray hiskillingjar, love to abuse genitals. send tweet.

day 7: CBT second person. law x oc. cw for fauxcest and very brief misgendering kink (maybe) but quickly gets addressed.

"Are you sure you want me to do this?"

Your voice was a low murmur in the heavy silence of the apartment, your dark brows knitted together with a slight frown, your lip sucked between your crooked teeth as you stared down at Lawrence, kneeling at your feet.

"It's gonna hurt...like, really bad.”

Lawrence looked up at you, their light grey eyes wide (and a little more alive than you’re used to) with a mixture of fear and excitement, and something else entirely you couldn't put words to. 

"Yeah, I know…” They said with a hesitant nod, eyes flitting down to their bare chest, their naked body, as if stripped down and ready to sacrifice. “But it'll help too, right?"

"Help with what?" You asked, a disbelieving chuckle in your voice. "You think torturing yourself is gonna feel any better than just hating yourself?"

"No, it’s not about that,” They shook their head, still looking up at you, almost pleading for you to understand something they couldn't find the words to articulate. “It's...not about hating myself, not really. It's...it's more than that. More meaningful. Grounding, reminding myself of…what belongs to me.” 

Their bare thighs spread apart slightly wider, their cock hardening between them as they continued to plead for your understanding.

“You know what I mean?”

Understanding that you would always readily give them.

"Yeah...yeah, I know," You said, the tight chastity cage under your skirt feeling a little tighter, giving them a sympathetic smile. "I know, Law. I'm sorry, I'm just...needing to psyche myself up a little."

Lawrence nodded, also understanding (because they always did, too). 

Deep down, maybe a small part of them was enjoying this, enjoying your slight discomfort at their brutal request, as if testing your loyalty to them. 

You got that sense when their eyes flitted downwards, their gaze lingering on the place between your legs for just the briefest of moments (trying their best not to let the smug, knowing smile, that always came with this sort of experience, play on their lips too much) before settling back on your face.

"You can do it. I know you can."

They pulled a deep breath inwards and then took hold of your hands, clinging onto them tightly, encouraging, waiting.

“I trust you.”

You smiled and shook your head in disbelief (not believing what you were about to do), letting out a soft sigh through your nose as you dragged your thumbs over their bony knuckles, holding them tight.

"Thanks, baby." You nodded. "Thank you for trusting me...it means a lot."

Lawrence couldn't help but let out a soft whine at the obvious term of endearment, which they swallowed back quickly, keeping it at the back of their throat where it wouldn't be so obvious (where they wouldn’t be so vulnerable).

They held your hands tighter, and your smile morphed into a smirk.

"Beg for it." You ordered gently, your tone soft and sweet and sickeningly maternal. 

“Pl-please…” They mumbled with a pleased shudder, idly biting their lower lip as they closed their eyes, waiting. "Do it. I can...I can take it, I promise."

You took in a final sigh through your grit teeth, stroking over their white knuckles one last time...before you brought your foot down firmly between their legs, grinding the heel of your Mary Jane shoe down against the slightly soft, slightly hard length of their cock.

Their breath hitched instantly and a ruined gasp tore its way from their throat as their body lurched forward, their hands clinging to yours even harder. 

Despite their eyes still being closed, tears began to well up beneath their pale eyelashes. 

A few tears of joy, you thought (you hoped), but probably mainly tears of pain,

"You like that?" You murmured, your voice pitched up through a slight sneer (playing the cis girl domme you always saw in porn), letting go of one of their hands to reach up and curl a fist into their hair, pulling their head down against your thigh, against the hem of your skirt. "That feel good?"

“Nnghh…yes. Yes, it feels good." They let out a low groan (deep, so lovely, you loved their natural voice so much), gripping your free hand even tighter. "F-Feels really good, hurts so good...”

A small spot of precum was beading out their slit against the apartment’s floorboards (against the sole of your shoe) and you found yourself smirking even more.

"Oh yeah? You like it when I step on your dumb, fucking cock?" You pulled their hair a little harder, your fist at the base of their skull. "It's so big, Law, so big and useless and stupid," A mean grin came to your face as you pressed more weight against it, listening to them moan in pain. "You can't even get hard most of the time~"

“Nnfhgh…” 

Their legs trembled, their face blushing a deep shade of red as tears finally began to fall from beneath their closed eyes. They tried to speak, tried to find the words to answer you, but struggled to find anything to say.

"What..." You let out a little sigh, trembling a little when you saw the first tear fall from their jaw and down their chest. You were used to tears, but- "What kind of girl has this, hm? What kind of girl has a big, useless cock like you do?"

They squeezed their eyes tighter, now starting to sniffle as they tried to fight through the mixture of shame, pain, and pleasure surely swirling through them.

It was certainly swirling through you, anyway.

"N-no girls do..." They stammered quietly, still clinging to you. "Just me, just me…"

"You don't think so?" You raised a sceptical brow and tightened your grip on their hair. "What about me? Is my cock small enough to be a real girl?"

"N-no, no. Yes. I-I mean...nhh..." They bit their lip and their voice trembled as you tightened your grip on their hair, surely pulling out strands of the coarse blonde now, it was so tight. 

The probable pain (from your hand and under your shoe) was now starting to pull the first stream of tears from their clenched lids, clinging to their lashes and swelling into fat teardrops before falling down their face, their chest, their thighs.  

"You're perfect...you're definitely a real girl, a real woman..." They breathed out, their head sinking down against your thigh and their body squirming to be free. "I'm just...I'm just a sick freak. Not...real..."

Your heart lept at that, your brain on high alert that this was going too far, this was too much, this was too close to home to be fun anymore, but you swallowed down the urge to safeword out of the "scene" (not like the two of you abided by language like that, you weren’t total dorks).

They were enjoying this. 

You knew that much from the way their cock was drooling under the sole of your shoe, and the way they were keening against you, despite their trembles.

But you weren't. At least, you weren't enjoying the degrading way they were speaking about themself.

But you could change that. You were leading things, after all.

"Oh, Law..." You clicked your tongue with soft, sychophantic sympathy, taking off a little (but not all) of the weight from their cock. "Oh baby..." Your firm grip loosened too and you rubbed their sore scalp with your fingers. "You're a real girl. Of course, you are."

Their breath stopped for a moment, as if caught in their lungs. 

They raised their gaze towards you and opened one tear-filled eye ever so slightly, needing to ask you something even through the thick haze of their suffering.

"You...you really think so?" They murmured quietly.

"I know so," You whispered with a gentle smile, grinding your heel down a little more, a reward for them continuing down the route you wanted. "You're whatever you want to be…and I’m here to make sure of that, aren’t I?"

They let out another whine, higher pitched and sweet sounding, a noise that edged close to a moan but caught itself just in time. 

More tears slipped from their eyelashes, leaving small wet tracks down their flushed face. 

It was a lovely visual.

"Thank you...thank you so much..." They let out a low breath, a sigh mixed with a whimper and another moan. "I'm, hhh...a bad girl..."

"Noooo, no no no, you don't get to beat yourself up anymore, baby," You cooed softly, a soft chiding tone as you stroked through their hair again, smiling even more as they leaned into your touch, as if seeking the contradictory comfort as opposed to the crushing pressure. "You're a good girl...doing this, like you should..."

"Y-yeah...I’m a good girl," They quickly corrected themself. "T-Trying to be...I really am..."

"You are such a good girl, Law," You continued to praise, stroking down their tear-streaked face, gently urging their chin upwards and their eyes towards you. "And you're going to be even better...because you're going to let me cage you up, just like Mommy, aren't you?"

They swallowed hard before sniffling, barely able to speak, and nodding as new tears began to fall down their angelic face. 

They were evidently too overcome to speak, overwhelmed by the prospect of the two of you having matching cages (god, all those losers on Twitter would have loved that, you instantly thought), so they focused their attention on you, instead of trying to immediately make words.

You liked that plenty though.

It made you feel powerful, despite what the metaphorical value of your cock-cage key hanging around their neck should have meant. 

You felt worshipped at the way they were kneeling before you, letting themself be kicked around and stood on and pet like a dog in your lap.

Like an animal, something to keep and possess.

“Yeah…I’ll do it." They nodded after a long moment, giving you a trembling smile. "I'd love to do it. I’ll be a good girl for you. I promise.”

Your maternal smile turned into something more genuine (more loving) as you ground your foot down a little harder against their cock, pulling their hair hard, keeping their body pinned against yours.

Sadism to reward their masochism. It felt good, doing it.

“Good girl.”

Their breath caught tightly in their chest and their eyes widened, letting loose another stream of tears with a broken cry.

One hand quickly came up to grasp at your knee through your tights, their pretty face twisting in pain as the heel of your shoe ground down even harder, their hips bucking uselessly against the pressure, trying to wrench themselves free of the pain.

"You take the pain so good, baby," You encouraged, gradually stroking their hair again and taking the weight off their cock. "...Do you need me to stop?"

After a moment, Lawrence gradually gave their head a slow shake, their skinny chest rising and falling as they took slow, deep breaths.

"N-no," They said, sniffling again. "No, I want to keep going. I...I want to be good for you, like you said. I want to be a good girl for you."

You beamed even brighter, before pulling your foot back and slamming it down again.

Another cry came out as a choked, strangled sort of noise, a small hiccup, followed by a few shaky breaths and near-silent sobs. You could see the tears rolling down their face readily now, their gentle features still twisted in a mixture of pain and pleasure.

“S-so…so good for you.” They grunted lowly, squeezing your knee a little tighter.

"Yes, so good..." You whispered encouragingly, curling your fingers into their hair again and gently urging their eyes upwards, forcing them to meet your gaze and see just how proud you were of them. "You're making mommy so proud, baby..."

Their expression softened, their features relaxing a little bit and their chest heaving with deep, shaky breaths as a hesitant smile graced their lips.

“Y-yeah?” They said, their voice still tremulous, as their other hand snaked around your thighs and clung to you close, needing, wanting. “I’m really doing good? I’m being your good girl?”

You smile again and lowered your head down, pressing more weight against their cock, before you gently swept strings of blonde hair out of their pretty face and kissed their forehead.

"The best ❤"

[everythingannoyingpjo]

Caleo actually drives me crazy bc Calypso was so mean to Leo all the time for no reason and it drives me crazyyyyy

This isn’t even MENTIONING the age gap

Thank you for the ask anon. I hope it won't bother you, but I'm going to break up your complaint a bit in order to talk about the intent of this blog.

Caleo actually drives me crazy...

Your ask starts with an opinion. The opinion is about a canon ship. This is good because we are here to complain about canon.

bc Calypso was so mean to Leo all the time for no reason.

You then explain what about the canon ship bugs you. Also good! But it would have been better if you included examples from the text.

What did Calypso do that was mean?

Pulling from the text to support your statement will lead to a more meaningful discussion.

This isn't even MENTIONING the age gap.

You provide a secondary reason for your dislike, which is great. Furthermore this one requires no explanation. The reasons for a prominent age gap making you uncomfortable are obvious and don't need to be stated.

HOWEVER, you could have also used this as an opportunity to complain about how Rick wrote Calypso.

(I'm not suggesting you complain about something that doesn't bother you, rather giving an example of other things it would have been reasonable to include so people can see the types of complaints this blog is most looking for.)

Why did Rick feel the age gap was unimportant to address? Why is Calypso written as a teenager despite her age and experience?

Rick picks and chooses what he uses from greater Greek mythology, but here he doesn't even explain WHAT he is choosing to include about Calypso's past. We don't know anything about her, we practically have to rely on the mythology to get a sense of her character and yet the way she is written by Rick and by ancient sources doesn't line up.

She is most definitely written as an adult in the Odyssey. That's not the case here, so you could argue that Rick intends her to be functionally the same as a teenager, but why is that? Has she been trapped in her adolescence just as she was trapped on Ogygia? We don't know!

It's actually reasonable none of the other teenagers question her relationship with Leo as it's written, because they have no reason to assume she is any more mature than they are. She looks and acts their age and as far as we know she cannot transform or alter her appearance as the gods can. But it's weird and unrealistic that it's never addressed.

Furthermore in ToA she is excited to go to highschool and be a "normal teenager," but why? Is she really nothing more than a teenager frozen in time yearning for a typical adolescent experience? Or is she an old lady wanting to pretend at being a child? We're never really given an explanation and that's just dumb.

So yeah, I agree with you on their relationship being complaint worthy. It really doesn't make sense, but ideally you want to focus more on the reason the complaint exists and not just on the source of the complaint.

[sasheneskywalker]

This video is not about The Batman | Renegade Cut

Transcript [emphasis added by me]:

"Okay, stop me if you've heard this a million times before. Why doesn't Batman use his wealth to solve poverty instead of punching criminals? That's a pretty loaded question huh. The most common counter argument is: Batman has the Wayne Foundation. Don't you read the comic books? The statement in this counter argument is technically true. The fictional narrative of Batman in the comic books and sometimes other media references the Caped Crusader’s charitable donations. But this counter is only meaningful if we're talking about whether or not the fictional Bruce Wayne gives some of his fictional money to a fictional city which we're probably not. The question “why doesn't Batman use his wealth to solve poverty instead of punching criminals” is not a condemnation of Batman as if he were real, like a real guy. It's not some righteous indignation about some man, some bibatted man who doesn't exist. It's only a question about our values in the real world. This question about Batman is not about Batman. The question is really “can there be justice under capitalism”? 

Capitalism does not resolve poverty. Capitalism simultaneously enforces poverty through stratified economic classes and income disparity all the while criminalizing poverty to protect private property interests of the ruling class. Marginally improving conditions under capitalism does not serve to resolve capitalism but to stabilize the labor class enough to continue labor. Furthermore many crimes are the products of poverty and crime cannot be resolved under a system that enforces and criminalizes its own poverty. The contradictions of capitalism cannot be resolved. This question about Batman is not really about judging or exonerating Batman. Thus the answer to this question cannot be about judging or exonerating Batman either. 

I mean I think we all love Batman. Or we all hate Batman, I can't keep up. The Wayne Foundation counter-argument applied to the real world is simply another way of saying that this is the best we can hope for. Capitalism with a somewhat more socially conscious ruling class. A teeny tiny bit less Jeff Bezos and a centimeter more Oprah Winfrey. And that's it. Isn't this perspective the result of capitalist realism? Thinking that this is as good as it gets and we should all ever expect. We enter into our viewing of The Batman with this cultural bias about our relationship with wealth and the wealthy. A presupposition that helps hold up the narrative and a presupposition that could be deconstructed. Isn't this fun? Talking about art, seeing how art relates to reality, trying not to get too defensive about it. I enjoy this.

Let's talk about film criticism.

A structuralist approach to film criticism puts more emphasis on the fixed nature of language conventions and code to convey particular information. A structuralist analysis relies on the premise that communication has a specific goal or meaning and that finding that meaning through signifiers and the signified is the essence of analysis. Here is that tree you've seen before. A structuralist analysis of The Batman would emphasize how Batman's character arc fits into the pre-existing conventions of film, how well it adheres to this and how much it subverts it. 

A post-structuralist analysis to film criticism recognizes that words and images we choose to convey information are imperfect and that this communication contains contradictions. A post-structuralist approach to film criticism might emphasize the pre-existing cultural biases of the creators of the film as well as the presumption of those cultural biases in the audience. For example the Batman addresses race and class but spends more time ignoring grievances related to race and class than it does acknowledging these grievances. Mere absence is not immediately meaningful but absence as contrast might be. For example the absence of a floating pink elephant in The Batman might not be meaningful to a post-structuralist because there is no opposite of this, no signifier of its contrast. But the absence of significant commentary on criminogenic conditions in a film that frequently references crime and comes to its own conclusion about how to resolve crime might be meaningful to a post-structuralist. 

At the risk of being reductive a structuralist analysis of a film places greater emphasis on the author signifiers and signified as the primary subjects of examination whereas post-structuralist analysis of a film places greater emphasis on the viewer, the existence of the viewer, and the viewer's world between the signifiers and signified. Just to be clear this is not a complete definition of post-structuralism or a proper lesson. Also, in reducing these terms this way I run the risk of inaccuracy but this is also, you know, a youtube video.

Here is a structuralist approach to explaining The Batman. In the beginning of the film Batman's inner monologue mythologizes crime in Gotham City. We experience it as a force of nature or human nature, something in the air or something in our blood, but in either case inevitable. Batman is skeptical of our humanity and believes more should be done to fight crime. Batman is visually represented as shadow, as the darkness of night. His first targets are thrill-seeker criminals performing unambiguously vindictive acts on complete strangers. Randomized violence with no goal except the act itself and perpetrated by a stylized evil visage that is completely dehumanized. When his voice over monologue is complete, his first spoken words are “I'm vengeance”. At the climax of the film Batman recognizes that vengeance is not the same as justice. Batman leads his people out of darkness and toward the light, visually represented by his torch and finally by the dawn that shines on them on this new day.

A structuralist analysis might conclude that justice outweighing vengeance is the authorial point of the film or the message of the film or the meaning of the film because it has laid bare at the climax where it's supposed to be and because it is foreshadowed many times and that this is the progression of the protagonist's character arc. It was dark but now there is dawn. Justice has been served, Batman is a hero, a pseudo-biblical figure that leads his people from bondage and sends them towards the heavens. Whatever else this is, rest assured that this is justice. This is what the movie is trying to say.

A post-structuralist approach might say that at the end of the film Batman uses different words to describe Gotham City and his mission and he is visually represented differently but he still mythologizes crime as a force of nature or human nature. Within the film there are multiple explicit references to income inequality and a passing reference to a comorbidity of racial inequality and income inequality. But this is all practically suppressed by what Batman tells the audience, both before and after his character arc is complete. The audience for The Batman is expected to have a cultural bias about criminogenic conditions, the circumstances that produce crime. The Batman ritualistically moralizes crime and speaks in platitudes that are originally dark, eventually uplifting but always vague and most importantly: apolitical. 

The passing reference to the conditions that create crime are covered under the banner of an apolitical unity that tends to ignore disparate racial and economic power dynamics. 

In the film the company called the Gotham Renewal Corporation, originally intended to assist Gotham City, has been corrupted by a series of criminals. In the end these criminals are exposed or pushed out and the day is saved. This relies on the presupposition that our systems are good and are only corrupted by bad apples. What is vengeance in The Batman anyway? Is Batman saying he simply needs to exercise a lighter touch? Because it feels like what Batman is instead pushing back against is corruption and radicalism. Corruption in the form of Renewal and radicalism in the form of those who oppose Renewal. The Riddler and his people and Catwoman's willingness to use more violence than Batman is willing to use. Radicals are portrayed as only seeking vengeance instead of justice and the audience's presuppositions about our systems and about radicalism are what makes this ring true to them in the end. 

In The Batman justice seems to be working within our institutions. The Batman recognizes corruption and acknowledges corruption but recognizing corruption is not a condemnation of our institutions because corruption is the institution not working as intended. Recognizing corruption only condemns corruption and may still tacitly endorse the institution. But what if the institutions working as intended create and enforce poverty? What if they create and enforce injustice? What if they must be replaced by something more than reform, something that requires more than voting? Well, that's radicalism and in The Batman that is portrayed as vengeance not justice. For only within our institutions can justice be found, no matter how much evidence exists to the contrary. The mayor was dirty but the new mayor will not be dirty. The bad politician is bad but the good politician is good. Trust in liberal democracy.

The police initially do not trust Batman and there are dirty cops but Batman tells Jim Gordon that he's a good cop. The bad police are bad but the good police are good. Trust the police. The wealthy criminals control much of Gotham but Bruce Wayne has sway in Gotham as well and Alfred reminds him of his responsibilities. The bad billionaires are bad but the good billionaires are good. Trust in capitalism. 

Batman also operates outside the system but in the end he is part of the system, an ally of the system with all that that implies. Trust in our institutions. Corruption and radical politics are both outside of the system in equal measure and in the center an apolitical unity that ignores the actual causes of crime and indeed the causes of injustice.

Is this a good take? Is this a bad take? I  don't know. As always that is entirely for Twitter to decide. To clarify, I'm not judging who is right within the confines of the narrative that they made. The Riddler kills a bunch of people and floods a city. I'm analyzing why the narrative looks like this in the first place and what it says about our culture. The Riddler is not right but the Riddler is also not real. The portrayal of his fight for the downtrodden perspective as radical, dangerous, terroristic, and motivated only by vengeance and not justice is a choice by the filmmakers. The conclusion of the film that basically serves as a love letter to the good people who reinforce our ultimately good institutions that exist to serve justice is also a choice. These choices do not necessarily have these intentions but finding authorial intention is not the goal here. These choices are worth thinking about because they reveal cultural biases and presuppositions that existed prior to the creation of the film and outside of the industry of film."

[aihoshiino]

chapter 149 thoughts

Chapters Since The 143 Kiss Happened And Went Entirely Unacknowledged And Unaddressed Count: 6

anybody else here unironically love getting yuribaited or just me

Honestly I kind of don't know what to think about this chapter lol. As it stands I didn't really hate it - in a lot of ways, it feels like a return to the humour and emotional focus of early OnK which is something I've honestly been missing in the manga while revisiting the anime. Mengo's art toys chapter was great and getting some proper Akane focus was nice. On the other hand, transitioning into this style of writing with no cushioning after the last arc is so incredibly jarring and the Akane stuff we get here is… well, we'll put a pin in it for now and address it later.

In general "put a pin in it" feels like the right energy for this chapter. As the second chapter of a new arc it's primarily setup for the stuff we're going to be dealing with for the next however long, I think it's going to be something we can really only chew on when we have a more solid idea of what exactly it's setting up, long or short term.

Anyway…! We start off with an explanation of why Kana seemed to flip so suddenly last chapter which does patch up some of that logic a bit. I think it's a little silly that she didn't actually overhear the conversation and thus clue into the actual goings on with how close she was standing but that's basically romance misunderstandings 101 so…

Her leaping to assumptions and giving up so quick also feels a bit abrupt but tbh Kana has always been deeply insecure and quick to leap to it's so over when it comes to her feelings for Aqua. Not only that but as others have pointed out since last chapter, from Kana's outsider perspective, Aqua was at his happiest and most at peace while dating Akane and has been in a mental health spiral to the point of expressing suicidal ideation since they broke up. Obviously we, the readers, know the extenuating circumstances at place but from Kana's POV it makes perfect sense to conclude that Akane makes him happiest and is uniquely equipped to do so. It just feels clunky in execution.

On the subject of clunky… I won't lie, it really bugs me that the first really significant AKKN interaction we're getting is love triangle shit entirely centered on Aqua. One of my biggest complaints about the series post TB was the way the end of that arc set up a huge status quo change to Akane and Kana's rivalry and then kind of failed to expand on it at all and that continued to be true all the way up to the Movie Arc. I'd hoped that them both working in close proximity as actresses on the same project would give us opportunities to dig into that. We got some lip service in that regard and then swerved hard into suddenly hyperfocusing on Kana's insecurities regarding Ruby while Akane got all of zero meaningful focus during the back half of the Movie Arc even though she was one of the characters with the most potential to bring interesting things to the table.

Honestly, one of my biggest fears with Akane's declaration that she'd stop Aqua's plan was that even though the two of broken up, she would continue to orbit Aqua at the expense of being allowed an arc of her own that focused on her relationships with the wider cast. Like - even if what she says about not being romantically interested in Aqua anymore is true, she is nevertheless entirely revolving around him to a really frustrating degree. It really feels like Akasaka realized Akane would have solved everything going on in the Movie Arc and had to panic and offscreen her as a result lol.

tho akane dismissively talking about the idea of clinging onto a past lover did make me do a very mean chuckle. ouch, better hope ruby didn't overhear that one, girl!

That said, for all my complaints, I didn't hate their little talk. Yes, it contained an absolute mountain of transparent-to-the-point-of-cynical KanaKane shipbait but it was pretty gay so who's to say if it's really good or bad or not. It's also just nice to see Kana and Akane being able to have a talk that isn't entirely hostile even if I really wish it was under different circumstances, or even that we'd just seen the road they took to being able to be so civil with each other. But whatever - we're here now, I'll take what I get.

Circling back around a bit, I am intrigued by the idea of Akane framing herself as having 'moved on' from Aqua when she very clearly hasn't lol. Like I indicated up there, I don't quite think this is the case nor do I think we're supposed to uncritically accept this as being the case - it reads moreso to me that Akane is trying to convince not just Kana but also herself that she's moved on from Aqua so Kana doesn't feel like she's in Akane's way if she tries to shoot her shot. As for why… well, that's something to talk about at the end of the chapter but I do think it's interesting either way. Akane wildly overshooting in her scrabble to convince Kana it's totally just platonic and going for sonzoning Aqua was also about the most insane thing she's said in a while but her utterly panicked and deranged expression as she said it made me bust a gut laughing.

In general, the expression work this chapter was on fire and there was a ton of really funny and really cute moments - Akane's blushy pout after Kana's quasi-confession, the fish-eye lens effect on her when Kana sees her outside her door and especially her and Kana's expressions in the second to last page… jesus i lost it so bad.

I've been gushing about Mengo's panelling and expressions for the last ten or so chapters but she really is amping it up lately. It definitely feels like her art for OnK has been getting really refined during the last few volumes and while this chapter was a little whiplash-y coming off the end of the Movie Arc, I also think it's a really impressive display of Mengo's range, too. Her horror and drama chops were on full display while all that was going on but in a more lowkey chapter like this, she brings a lot of life and charm to even simple things like the little montage of everyone wrapping up their day of the beach - it's three silent, tiny panels at the bottom of the page but she crams a ton of detail and character into each one.

I also am Extremely Shrimpterested in the note this chapter ends on. Something OnK does occasionally is use genre trappings as a smokescreen for what is actually happening on page and Akane's words at the end here seem to indicate this is happening here, too. This entire chapter goes extremely hard on the romcom tropes and dynamics but the way Akane's energy totally changes once she's on her own makes me think this is intentional and a reflection of the way Akane is setting up to use Kana.

Because I do think it's undoubtable that she is setting up to use Kana. Her sudden leap to captain of the SS AquKana is not about wholeheartedly supporting two people she loves (at least not primarily) and more about her continued efforts to save Aqua from himself. Kana just happens to be a convenient pawn in making this happen.

If I'm making this sound very cynical and cold of Akane: it is! But that's why I think it's so interesting. Akane is very like Aqua in a lot of ways and seeing this tendency of his to perform cruelty and manipulation to the greater end of doing the most good (or at least in their eyes) mirrored in her is very juicy and potentially very deadly in the hands of someone as smart and perceptive as Akane.

It's also kind of telling and kind of really sad to see Akane asserting that Aqua wouldn't be able to take revenge if he had a girlfriend at his side when that certainly didn't stop him back when he and Akane were dating. It's subtle but it's consistent with just how little faith Akane seems to have ever had in Aqua's feelings for her. Kana's not the only one struggling with long term insecurities in that regard.

I also can't not address the elephant in the room that is the story setting this up while the resolution to whatever the hell is going on with Ruby is still dangling over everyone's heads. I mentioned this last chapter but it really is getting to be bizarre just how much of a nothingburger that has been turned into, not just in terms of the characters' lack of reaction to it but the way the narrative has just entirely failed to give it any weight or significance whatsoever. I can only assume that one of the other girls making a move to pursue Aqua (if it does end up happening) will kick Ruby into action and we'll get god knows what sort of resolution there but a dark and evil part of me that loves to start shit thinks that the funniest possible resolution would be for it to never come up or be referenced ever again just for the sheer frenzy of confusion and bafflement it would cause. everybody loses!!!

[captainfantasticalright]

Hello!

How are you? Hope you're well ☺️ sorry for being a nuisance but......

I have a really random costume question and thought of you! You always produce the most wonderful, detailed analysis of set pieces and costumes amongst other things 💖 so I thought you may have some thoughts or insight please?

So basically - in Dead Boy Detectives, the Night Nurses' hero colour is an orangey golden burnished brown. For the entire season she wears various shades in that colour, until the scene at the end of ep 8 with the Principal. NN can be seen talking to Edwin where he asks how to address her. At this point her jacket is a much darker colour than we've previously seen her wear - possibly navy or black?

Given that with other characters, colour changes to their outfits can have significant meaning - do you think that's the case here too? I mean, she's taking on an entirely new job role, a departure from the familiar.....

I don't know, maybe it was that colour all along but it just looks darker in the final scene 🤔

Sorry if it's not ok to ask 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Oh hi! You’re not a nuisance at all, don’t even say that.

I am doing well! Quite busy at the moment, but well! Thank you for asking. And thank you for this beautiful message! Wow, that really made me smile so much. Truly appreciate it. 🥹

Definitely think that the color change is meaningful! According to this very insightful interview from Tudum:

It’s not only Esther who wears clothes with a gilt, old-gold color — Cat King and Night Nurse also do as a nod to their villainy.

So her color tones are always within those very earthy, orangey color palettes. With a sprinkle of gold or just in general mixed in with the orangey to add to her “villainy”.

Kelli Dunsmore also: wove the story into the fabric of the clothes, because there are things that she foreshadowed in the clothing that happened episodes later. Or, if characters start to get in some sort of relationship with each other, that will be reflected in the clothes that they wear or the colors that they have. Or, if they're feeling any type of emotion, the same way we dress differently, the characters are dressed differently..[..]

So going from that and the indication of some type of villainy, although she isn’t truly a villain here, but more in the position of an anti-hero (literally Night Nurse was just fulfilling her duties), the change to a suit (which to me looks grey to be quite honest, my eyesight might be not the best to trust here) either tells me that because she thought she had wrapped things up, she changed from her usual colors into something more “neutral” or because she went through so much, especially with Kashi, she might have adapted some of his colors from the turmoil into her attire.

Even Edwin’s connection to her might be somewhat reflected in the dark color tones she wears (similarly to Edwin’s darker color palette). Which as we see by the end, her whole world has been turned upside down by having to join the agency, so definitely her clothes are poignant, but as to to journey they are predicting, jolly, possibilities are endless.

But also important to note that the color change does not only happen by the last episode, but she is also wearing a darker suit when she is in the Lost and Found department running errands and stops to talk with the Devlin girls. Maybe grey is to assume a mask of “right now I am not being as evil as I present myself to be other times”.

I don’t know if this helped, but I agree with you saying a departure from the familiar. Most definitely.

Also her suits were heavily inspired on Vivienne Westwood’s patterns! Super “over the top”.